"It has individual capsules. Every guest is inside a capsule," Ratcliff said.

There are 32 capsules, each weighing 10 tons and capable of carrying 25 people. It's all held together by 80 spokes, giving the Eye the appearance of a bike wheel rolling down the Thames.

"On a great day, you can see nearly 40 kilometers, all the way to Windsor Castle," Ratcliff said. "Just over here, we have Horse Guard's Parade, which is where the beach volleyball is going to be happening for the Olympics."

The Steelers fans were impressed with the slow trip above the Olympic host city, which took long enough for Foertsch to wave her "Terrible Towel" for all to see.

"Everybody at home, we have a lot of people at home, and they all know we are here for the Olympics," she said.

Visitors can arrange for a guide and even dinner aboard the London Eye

The London Eye takes about 30 minutes to go around. In one year, it will go around 7,668 times. If it was rolling down the road, it would cover 2,300 miles.